In this hour-long workshop, Chuck touched on some dos and don'ts to keep in mind during a pitch session with an agent or editor:

DONT'S

--Don't send agents any more material than what they ask for.

--Don't give them hardcopies, because they don't want to lug around paper from 50 or more writers.

--Don't pass them your business card, but ask them for theirs.

--And most importantly, don't give away the ending.

DOS

--The pitch should be 3-10 sentences long. The narrative should be similar to "the back of the DVD box."

--After introductions, talk about the details and the logline of the book.

--Details consist of: Title, word count, genre and whether the book is finished or not.

--Logline: A one-sentence summary of the book.

--Start with the main characters.

--Include the inciting incident. What propels the story into motion? What is the conflict?

--Optional: Discuss the character arc. Does the protagonist change?

Some cautionary notes include:

--Avoid general terms. Be specific.

--Caveat for sci-fi novels: Avoid using proper names for worlds an races.

--Avoid delving into subplots.

The advice given above, was primarily geared for fiction. Pitching non-fiction books has some different elements:

--Pitches tend to be dry and factual. Have a good book idea and discuss your credentials with the agent.

--Have a platform. Who is your target audience?

--The exception: Memoirs are treated like fiction.

Finally, the #1 reason why agents & editors refuse to publish someone's work: It was turned in too early, often after writing the first draft. It would be best to submit your book after finishing the 2nd or even 3rd draft.﻿

Studio Spin-Offs

About the Director

I'm a retired USAF TACP (Tactical Air Control Party) member, now working for Washington State Emergency Management. In addition to being an Emergency Operations Specialist at my day/night/weekend job, I'm a Foreign Affairs Specialist, gamer and writer.
I maintain three blogs as an on-line platform. "Stern Rake Studio," my central site, explores a variety of topics on gaming, pop-culture and writing. "Station WTFO" is where I post comments and discussions on the national and international issues that concern us. Finally, "The Redshift Chronicles," is a spin-off of "Stern Rake Studio." This site focuses on sci-fi gaming and is home to my long-form webcomic "Breakout from Bongolaan."